Topic: Situation in Russia
Biden calls Scholz, Sunak and Macron
06/24/2023, 7:24 p.m
Biden, Scholz, Macron and Sunak are talking on the phone about the situation in Russia. Not much is known about the content of the conversation. Support to Ukraine should continue for as long as necessary.
US President Joe Biden spoke to Chancellor Olaf Scholz and other European allies about the uprising of the Wagner mercenary group in Russia. Biden had a phone call with Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak about “the situation in Russia”, the White House in Washington said. They reaffirmed “their unwavering support for Ukraine.”
Shortly after the White House announcement, German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit sent out a similarly brief and similarly worded statement: “Chancellor Scholz, US President Biden, French President Macron and British Prime Minister Sunak exchanged views on the current situation in Russia this afternoon. They reiterated their continued support to Ukraine for as long as necessary.”
Western allies appear to want to avoid any semblance of influencing events in Russia. While the former head of the Munich Security Conference, Wolfgang Ischinger, warned of a breakup of Russia, said the political scientist Carlo Masala, this is not in the hands of the West. However, one must prepare for the possible consequences.
Wagner mercenaries on their way to Moscow
On Friday evening, the long-smoldering power struggle between Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozchin and the Russian military leadership escalated. Wagner Troupe fighters invaded Russia from Ukraine with the aim of overthrowing the military leadership in Moscow.
According to their own statements, the Wagner mercenaries took control of military facilities in Rostov on Saturday. According to Russian information, the Wagner fighters are said to have advanced as far as the Russian region of Lipetsk, around 400 kilometers south of Moscow.
In Germany, the federal government’s crisis team met at the Federal Foreign Office. Chancellor Scholz is kept informed about the situation, it said. Biden and his deputy Kamala Harris were also informed by the National Security Council on Saturday morning (local time) about current developments in Russia, as the White House announced. You would be kept updated throughout the day. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the situation in Russia with his G7 colleagues.